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I took this pic of Jake at Grant's "bath-tism" as he called it. It's one of my new favs. All those scratches came hard earned. Not that I want him to have those, but you see, he's pretty timid when it comes to physical activity for fear of getting hurt. Baseball, slip and slide, soccer, bike riding all come with a bit of trepidation for him. The one time he put all fear aside and followed dare devil brother down a hill (after mom repeatedly said slow down), he got hurt pretty badly. It's all healing nicely though. And I think he's kind of proud of himself for trying something "big" even if it wasn't the safest or best idea!
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At the top of the mountain, the lake was so pretty and the boys were hoping for some bass bites!

All day on the water fishing, swimming, and jetting around the lake in the swagger wagon of boats - the pontoon boat. (Not ours, just a rental).

I think this guy looks professional.

Why does this goofiness have to happen to the teenage brain? See? Didn't I tell you Betty was amused? What's funny is I didn't realize how many pictures she ended up in. I guess because she thinks she owns the place. Lola was so content to sit next to Eric's "captain's chair" all day.

I said it was pretty, right?

Anyone that knows Grant, knows he is part fish. He loves water and had such a great time playing and relaxing.

One of the very, very few pics I have of her just looking sweet with no goofy look!

I thought this house was so cool. Looks like it has a guest house too. The property goes way up on the mountainside. See the "ladder" looking thing? It's an elevator/dumb waiter. Genius!

This guy finally reeled one in later in the afternoon.

He was so pleased. Of course, then he didn't want to stop fishing!

Captain Ally!

Studly rock star AKA Grant.

Unfortunately for poor Jake, his evening did not go well. He was biking with Grant and other kids his age and had a bike accident coming down a hill. He is fine, but his face is very bruised, swollen, and sore. I can't believe how much he has healed in 24 hours though. I'm so thankful! I'm also thankful for helmets!!! Jake was quite worried about his bike (which will need repairs). Poor Grant felt responsible since I had been telling them to slow down, and he is big brother. Grant has such a tender heart. At least I know they care deeply for each other. Sorry for the influx of pictures. I don't post often and wanted to share with family and friends.

I've seen parts of the documentary "Somewhere Between" (it is on Netflix for those interested) but last night, I sat down to watch the whole thing start to finish. I hadn't watched it completely before because I knew it would bring a lot of difficult things to think about and process as an adoptive mom, and I knew I'd have tears. Yes, it did all those things. It really made me very sad. The pit in your stomach kind of sad. I'm sad that my boys had to go through an adoption in the first place. Sad that they were afraid of me. Sad that they were placed by birth parents. It made me grieve in some small way for my boys birth parents. There are four adults in this world who would be so proud.

I think of my boys as all mine-100%. But after watching, I think it would be harder to think that way if birth parents had faces. Then my boys would belong to someone else in a way. Right now, birth parents are figments with no face, no personality buried in the past. It is true that the boys have a journey to walk that is unique to their own personal thoughts and feelings. They may even think and view their pasts differently. They may grow up and never have a desire to know more; or we may be making a trip to search for more answers. I can only stand by and help guide. This parenting gig is really difficult. You never really know if your making the right choice, you always wish you were better at it, and you always make mistakes. I've made so many that I don't care to think about it. Adoptive parenting adds another layer of thick fog to the confusion of parenting. There's a whole road ahead of us, and I'm pretty sure it's going to be interesting. Praying I'm a help to my kids and not a hindrance as they find their identity and their way into happy, healthy, secure adulthood. I pray that if they feel they have their feet in different worlds that they will be happy and content with who they are.

Addressed to mom dad and Grant: I love you. You are the best mom and dad! I love you. You are the best brother I ever had. Love, Jake. Ally babysat last night. I think she must have irritated him at some point because he didn't mention her. <siblinglove>.
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We had a great Independence Day at my friends family BBQ. Complete with sack races and water balloons, bike riding on empty dirt roads, and visiting farm animals.
Not to mention, an awesome rodeo. Wow! That was so much fun sitting with all those cowboys! Lol St. Paul, Oregon is truly small town America with prayers before rodeos, four businesses in town, farmhouses from the 1800s, and genuinely kind, welcoming people. So neat to be a part of if only for a day.
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About Me

I'm a thirty something wife and mother of three God-given gifts. As a teenager, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I enjoy homeschooling, volunteering, cooking, and living life! CLICKfor blogger profile